User matching in a virtual environment

ABSTRACT

Techniques are disclosed to facilitate user matching in a virtual environment. Social interactions of a first user in the virtual environment are monitored. A request to participate in a desired activity is received from the first user. A set of users currently eligible to participate in the first desired activity is retrieved. A match is programmatically generated between the first user and at least a second user of the retrieved set of users, based on the monitored social interactions. The first user and the second user participate in the desired activity in the virtual environment.

BACKGROUND

A virtual world is a simulated environment in which users may interactwith virtual objects and locations of the virtual world. Each user maycontrol a respective avatar through which the user may interact withother users' avatars in the virtual world. An avatar generally providesa graphical representation of an individual within the virtual worldenvironment. Avatars are usually presented to other users as two orthree-dimensional graphical representations that resembles a humanindividual. Frequently, virtual worlds allow multiple users to enter thevirtual environment and interact with one another. Virtual worlds aresaid to provide an immersive environment, as they typically appearsimilar to the real world and objects tend to follow rules related togravity, topography, locomotion, physics and kinematics. Of course,virtual worlds can suspend or alter these rules as well as provide otherimaginative or fanciful environments. Users typically communicate withone another through their avatars using text messages sent betweenavatars, real-time voice communication, gestures displayed by avatars,symbols visible in the virtual world, and the like.

Some virtual worlds are described as being persistent. A persistentworld provides an immersive environment (e.g., a fantasy setting used asa setting for a role-playing game, or a virtual world complete withland, buildings, towns, and economies) that is generally alwaysavailable and where events continue to occur regardless of the presenceof a given avatar. Thus, unlike more conventional online games ormulti-user environments, the virtual world continues to exist and plotsand events continue to unfold as users enter (and exit) the virtualworld. Virtual environments are presented as images on a display screenand some virtual environment may allow users to record events that occurwithin the virtual environment.

SUMMARY

Embodiments presented in this disclosure provide a method,computer-readable medium, and system for performing an operation of usermatching based on social interactions in a virtual environment. Theoperation includes monitoring social interactions of a first user in thevirtual environment. The operation also includes receiving, from thefirst user, a request to participate in a first desired activity in thevirtual environment. The operation also includes accessing a set ofusers, other than the first user, currently eligible to participate inthe first desired activity. The operation also includes programmaticallygenerating a match between the first user and at least a second user ofthe accessed set of users, based on the monitored social interactions ofthe first user. The first user and the second user participate in thefirst desired activity in the virtual environment based on the generatedmatch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed incolor. Copies of this patent or patent application publication withcolor drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.

So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages andobjects of embodiments presented in this disclosure are attained and canbe understood in detail, a more particular description of theembodiments, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to theembodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.

It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate onlytypical embodiments disclosed herein and are therefore not to beconsidered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to otherequally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a data flow diagram illustrating an application configured tofacilitate player matching in a virtual environment, according to oneembodiment presented in this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system configured tofacilitate player matching in the virtual environment, according to oneembodiment presented in this disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a set diagram representing matched players in the virtualenvironment, according to one embodiment presented in this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting determination of recent playmates of arequesting user, according to one embodiment presented in thisdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a diagram depicting determination of matched players for therequesting user, according to one embodiment presented in thisdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting a method to facilitate player matchingin the virtual environment, according to one embodiment presented inthis disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting a method to generate matched players forthe requesting user, according to one embodiment presented in thisdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting a method to determine recent playmatesof the requesting user, according to one embodiment presented in thisdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting a method to determine eligibleparticipants for a requested activity, according to one embodimentpresented in this disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating components of a virtual worldapplication, according to one embodiment presented in this disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system configured tofacilitate player matching in the virtual environment, according to oneembodiment presented in this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Matching players for group activities in a virtual environment may posemany challenges. For example, some players may prefer random playermatching, other players may prefer matching based on player skill level,while still others may prefer matching based on still other criteria. Inparticular, younger players may often wish to play with other playersthey are interacting or have recently interacted within the virtualenvironment. Friend lists, also referred to as buddy lists, may indicatewho a given player prefers to interact with, but friend lists do notnecessarily indicate who the given player is interacting with at a givenmoment in time in the virtual environment. In some embodiments, a userinterface may be provided to allow players manually specify a match orto specify criteria to be used for automatic player matching. However,such a user interface may often be too sophisticated for youngeraudiences to use on a regular basis. Further, players of certaindemographics, including younger players, may often wish to be matchedbased on friendships or social interactions and to the exclusion of (orin addition to) player skill level or gaming interactions. The socialinteractions may range from explicit interactions, such as chattingfrequency, to implicit interactions, such as “hanging out” in thevirtual environment.

At least in some embodiments, interactions between users in a virtualenvironment are divided into gaming interactions and socialinteractions. In one embodiment, gaming interactions between users in avirtual environment refer to interactions between the users over thecourse of participating in a predefined gaming activity in the virtualenvironment. Social interactions between users in a virtual environmentrefer to interactions between the users while not participating in apredefined gaming activity in the virtual environment—e.g., whilehanging out in a virtual chatroom or in a gaming lobby in the virtualenvironment. Although gaming activities may often allow users tosocially interact over the course of the gaming activities, thetechniques disclosed herein may be adapted to include or exclude suchsocial interactions occurring during gaming activities, to suit theneeds of a particular case. In alternative embodiments, anadministrative user defines, for each gaming activity available in thevirtual environment, what types of social interactions are considered orignored for purposes of player matching in the virtual environment. Andalthough embodiments are described herein with reference to playermatching based on social interactions, in alternative embodiments,player matching may be based additionally on gaming interactions betweenusers.

Embodiments presented in this disclosure provide techniques for usermatching based on social interactions between users in a virtualenvironment. As used herein, user matching is also referred to as playermatching. In one embodiment, social interactions of a first user aremonitored in the virtual environment. A request is received from thefirst user, the request specifying to participate in a desired groupactivity in the virtual environment. A set of users, other than thefirst user, that are currently eligible to participate in the groupactivity is accessed. A match is programmatically generated between thefirst user and at least a second user of the accessed set of users,based on the monitored social interactions of the first user. The groupactivity then commences, with at least the first user and the seconduser as participants. Accordingly, users may enjoy improved playermatching for activities in the virtual environment, at least relative toalternative approaches for player matching, such as random matching orskill-based matching. Doing so may improve the user experience andincrease user satisfaction with the virtual environment at least in somecases.

FIG. 1 is a data flow diagram 100 illustrating an application configuredto facilitate user matching in a virtual environment, according to oneembodiment presented in this disclosure. As shown, the application is avirtual world application 102 configured to generate matched players 112for a requested group activity 106 and based on social interactions 104.Depending on the embodiment, the virtual world application 102 may be aclient application or a server application, as is further describedbelow in conjunction with FIG. 2. At least in some embodiments, thematched players 112 may be generated based further on selection criteria107, a list of recent playmates 108, and a list of eligible players 110.Depending on the embodiment, the list of recent playmates 108 and thelist of eligible players 110 may be retrieved or generated by thevirtual world application 102.

In one embodiment, the selection criteria specify how to select playersfor the list of recent players 108, the list of eligible players 110, orthe matched players 112 for the group activity 106. The selectioncriteria 107 may be specified by an administrator or developer of thevirtual world application 102. In some embodiments, the selectioncriteria include one or more of playmate criteria 114, eligibilitycriteria 116, and matching criteria 118. The playmate criteria 114specify how to generate the list of recent playmates 108 based on thesocial interactions 104. For example, the playmate criteria 114 definewhat types of interactions to consider, how to weight each type ofsocial interaction, what time period for which interactions may beconsidered, etc.

In one embodiment, the eligibility criteria 116 specify how to generatethe list of eligible players 110 based on the requested group activity106. Depending on the embodiment, the eligibility criteria 116 may bespecific to the requested group activity 106. For example, theeligibility criteria 114 define one or more conditions required by thegroup activity 106. For instance, one condition may specify that theplayer must currently be at a predefined virtual location or predefinedchatroom in the virtual environment, in order to be eligible toparticipate in the group activity 106. Conditions may also pertain toproperties of an avatar (or a user thereof). For example, an avatarcondition, also referred to herein as a character-specific condition,may specify that the avatar must be of a certain avatar level, haveplayed a certain number of games, be of a certain avatar ranking, have acertain avatar level in a specified skill, be of a certain avatarcharacter class or profession, have achieved certain objectives in thevirtual environment such as successfully completing a mini-game, etc. Auser condition, also referred to herein as an account-specificcondition, may be specific to a user rather than to an avatar of theuser. For example, a user condition may specify that the user has spenta certain number of hours playing in the virtual environment, playing aspecified mini-game in the virtual environment, or performing aspecified activity in the virtual environment, across all avatars of theuser in the virtual environment.

In one embodiment, the matching criteria specify how to generate thematched players 112 for the group activity, based on the list of recentplaymates 108 and the list of eligible players 110. For example, atleast in some embodiments, the list of recent playmates 108 is orderedby affinity score, and the list of eligible players is ordered byeligibility score. In one embodiment, the affinity score between a firstuser and a given user characterizes a degree of social interactionbetween the first user and the given user—as determined by the playmatecriteria 114. The eligibility score of a given user for a specifiedgroup activity characterizes an extent to which the given user iseligible to participate in the specified group activity—as determined bythe eligibility criteria 116.

In some embodiments, the matching criteria 118 specify how to weight theaffinity score and the eligibility score to generate the matched players112 for the group activity. For example, the matching criteria 118 mayspecify to compute, for a given player, a matching score based on apredefined function of the affinity score and the eligibility score. Thepredefined function may assign different weights to the affinity scoreand the eligibility score, respectively. The predefined function mayalso be specific to a group activity, such that different groupactivities have different associated functions for computing matchingscores. Once the matching scores are computed, the virtual worldapplication 150 may select the players having the highest matchingscore, as the matched players 112 for the group activity.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system 200 configuredto facilitate player matching in a virtual environment, according to oneembodiment presented in this disclosure. As shown, the system 200includes a plurality of client systems 202 connected to a plurality ofserver systems 206 via a network 204. As described above, depending onthe embodiment, the virtual world application 102 may be one or more ofa virtual world client 208, a virtual world server 210, or a standaloneapplication 212 configured to generate matched players for the virtualworld client 208 or the virtual world server 210. Depending on theembodiment, the standalone application 212 may execute on the clientsystem 202, the server system 206, or any computer system operativelyconnected to the client system 202 or to the server system 206 via thenetwork 205.

In one embodiment, each of the client systems 202 is configured tooperate the virtual world client 208. Examples of the client systems 202include, without limitation, console gaming systems (e.g., the MicrosoftXbox 360®, the Sony Playstation® 3, etc.), handheld gaming systems(e.g., the Nintendo 3DS™ and DST™, the Sony PSP®, etc.), personalcomputer gaming systems and so on. The server systems 206 are configuredto operate the virtual world server 210. Generally, the virtual worldserver 210 is configured to receive connections from users (e.g., viathe virtual world clients 208) and to manage a virtual environment andinteractions between the users within the virtual environment. In oneembodiment, the virtual environment is a virtual world. The virtualworld client 208 or the virtual world server 210 may generate thematched players 112 for a group activity, based on the socialinteractions 104. Accordingly, player matching in a virtual environmentmay be improved at least in some cases.

FIG. 3 is a set diagram 300 representing matched players in a virtualenvironment, according to one embodiment presented in this disclosure.Assume that a first player, Amy, requests to participate in a racinggame in the virtual environment. Amy is represented by an avatar 301 inthe virtual environment. The set diagram 300 includes a region 303representing all players of the virtual environment, other than Amy. Theregion 303 includes a first sub-region 302 representing players that Amyhas recently socially interacted with in the virtual environment, alsoreferred to herein as recent playmates of Amy. The region 303 furtherincludes a second sub-region 304 representing players currently eligibleto participate in the racing quest, also referred to herein as eligibleplayers. Although the sub-regions 302, 304 are shown to be partiallyoverlapping in this particular example, in other embodiments, thesub-regions 302, 304 may be fully overlapping or non-overlapping. Theset diagram 300 further includes a subset 308 of a set intersection 306between the sub-regions 302, 304. Assume that the racing game requestedby Amy supports a maximum of ten concurrent players. The subset 308would then include nine (or fewer) players selected from the setintersection 306, based on predefined matching criteria. The racing gamemay then commence, with Amy and the nine players as participants.

FIG. 4 is a diagram 400 depicting determination of recent playmates of auser, according to one embodiment presented in this disclosure. Therecent playmates correspond to the sub-region 302 of FIG. 3. At least insome embodiments, the determination is made by a playmate trackingmodule 402 of the virtual world application 102, also referred to as atracking module. In one embodiment, the playmate tracking module 402generates a list of recent playmates 108 of Amy, based on the playmatecriteria 114 and the social interactions 104. Depending on theembodiment, the list of recent playmates 108 may further include anaffinity score between Amy and each playmate on the list 108.

In one embodiment, the playmate criteria 114 specify to increase theaffinity score between Amy and a target avatar by one point each timeAmy clicks on the target avatar within a predefined time period, e.g.,by using a pointing device such as a mouse. The playmate criteria 114further specify to increase the affinity score by one point each timeAmy clicks to send an instant message to the target avatar via thevirtual environment and within the predefined time period, also referredto herein as a session. The playmate criteria 114 further specify toincrease the affinity score avatar by one point if Amy requests to addthe target avatar to a buddy list of Amy within the virtual environment.The playmate criteria 114 further specify to increase the affinity scoreby three points the target avatar is successfully added to the buddylist of Amy. The playmate criteria 114 further specify to increase theaffinity score by two points each time Amy is in range of the targetavatar for more than ten seconds out of a thirty-second interval.Depending on the embodiment, the ten seconds may be continuous. Theplaymate criteria 114 may be tailored to suit the needs of a particularcase.

As shown, the diagram 400 further includes social interactions 104between Amy and other players in the virtual environment. For example,the social interactions 104 specify that Amy clicked on an avatar of Bobfive times, sent Bob two instant messages, and hung out with Bob for oneminute, and added Bob to the buddy list of Amy in the virtualenvironment. Accordingly, based on the playmate criteria 114, theplaymate tracking module 402 generates an affinity score of eightbetween Amy and Bob. As another example, the social interactions 104further specify that Amy clicked on an avatar of Chris four times, sentone instant message to Chris, hung out with Chris for thirty seconds,and added Chris to the buddy list of Amy in the virtual environment.Accordingly, based on the playmate criteria 114, the playmate trackingmodule 402 generates an affinity score of six between Amy and Chris.

As a further example, the social interactions 104 specify that Amyclicked on an avatar of Doug three times and sent Doug a buddy request.Accordingly, the playmate tracking module 402 generates an affinityscore of five between Amy and Doug. Still further, the socialinteractions 104 specify that Amy clicked on an avatar of Emily twotimes and hung out with Emily for fifteen seconds. Accordingly, anaffinity score of three is generated between Amy and Emily. The list ofrecent playmates 108 may then be sorted based on affinity score.

Depending on the embodiment, affinity scores may be unidirectional orbidirectional. Unidirectional affinity scores apply in one directionbetween two users and not necessarily in another direction. For example,the affinity score of Amy towards Bob may not necessarily be the same asthe affinity score of Bob towards Amy. In some embodiments, abidirectional affinity score, also referred to as a composite affinityscore, may be generated based on the distinct unidirectional affinityscores between two users. The bidirectional affinity score may be usedin play matching, either in conjunction with or in lieu of theunidirectional affinity scores.

In some embodiments, the virtual world application 102 further includesa lock-in function and a decay function. The lock-in function occurswhen an affinity score reaches a predefined threshold, such as a scoreof twenty. Affinity scores that reach the predefined threshold are notsubject to decay. Players having such an affinity score with one anothermay be regarded as exhibiting a strong pattern of social interactionsand should be matched with one another where possible. Affinity scoresthat do not reach the predefined threshold decay based on the decayfunction, such as by one point per a predefined decay interval. Playershaving such an affinity score with one another may be regarded asexhibiting a weak to moderate pattern of social interactions and shouldnot necessarily be matched with one another, depending on the affinityscore. By including the lock-in function and the decay function, thevirtual world application 102 may improve its ability to differentiatebetween good and bad candidates for player matching.

FIG. 5 is a diagram 500 depicting determination of matched players for auser, according to one embodiment presented in this disclosure. Thematched players correspond to the subset 308 of FIG. 3. At least in someembodiments, the determination is made by a player matching module 502of the virtual world application 102, also referred to as a matchingmodule. In one embodiment, the player matching module 502 generates alist of matched players 112 for Amy, based on the list of recentplaymates 108 and a list of eligible players 110. The list of eligibleplayers 110 may be generated based on the eligibility criteria 116, suchas user avatars being at a predefined location of the virtualenvironment at a time that a request is received from the user to engagein a desired group activity (e.g., being at a hotspot associated withthe desired group activity). As specified above, in some embodiments,the eligibility criteria 116 may be specific to the group activityrequested by the user. Accordingly, a developer or administrative userof the virtual environment may specify different eligibility criteriafor different activities available in the virtual environment.

In one embodiment, the list of matched players 112 may be generatedbased on the matching criteria 118. For example, the list of matchedplayers 112 may be generated by selecting players from a setintersection of the list of recent playmates 108 with the list ofeligible players 110. The selected players may include players havingthe highest affinity score or eligibility score—i.e. in embodimentswhere player eligibility is expressed in terms of an eligibility score.In instances where the desired group activity specifies a minimum ormaximum number of participants, the count of the selected playerscomplies with the specified minimum or maximum. In still otherembodiments, a skill compatibility score is generated between the userand each player, and the list of matched players 112 is generated basedon the skill compatibility score, either in conjunction with or in lieuof the affinity score or the eligibility score. Once the list of matchedplayers 112 is generated, the virtual world application 102 may commencethe desired group activity, with the requesting user and the matchedplayers as participants, as represented by element 504. In someembodiments, a predefined delay is introduced prior to matching players,to account for a time difference between a time of the request and alatency, in order to cast a wider net to capture more players in thelist of recent playmates that are also eligible to participate in therequested activity.

In alternative embodiments, only one of list of recent playmates 108 andthe list of eligible players 110 is generated. For example, in anembodiment where the list of recent playmates 108 is generated, thevirtual world application 102 determines whether each player on the listof recent playmates 108 is eligible to participate in the requestedactivity. Alternatively, in an embodiment where the list of eligibleplayers 110 is generated, the virtual world application 102 determinesan affinity score between the requesting user and each player on thelist of eligible players 110. By generating only one of the list ofrecent playmates 108 and the list of eligible players 110 as describedherein, the virtual world application 102 may generate the list ofmatched players 112 more efficiently in some cases.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting a method 600 to facilitate playermatching in a virtual environment, according to one embodiment presentedin this disclosure. As shown, the method 600 begins at step 610, wherethe virtual world application 102 monitors social interactions of afirst user in the virtual environment. At step 620, the virtual worldapplication 102 receives, from the first user, a request to participatein a desired activity in the virtual environment. At step 630, thevirtual world application 120 generates or retrieves a set of users,other than the first user, currently eligible to participate in thedesired activity. At step 640, the virtual world application 120programmatically generates a match between the first user and at least asecond user of the retrieved set of users, based on the monitored socialinteractions of the first user. The steps 630 and 640 are furtherdescribed below in conjunction with FIG. 7. At step 650, the desiredactivity occurs in the virtual environment, with at least the first userand the second user as participants. After the step 650, the method 600terminates.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting a method 700 to generate matched playersfor a requesting user, according to one embodiment presented in thisdisclosure. The method 700 corresponds to the steps 630 and 640 of FIG.6. As shown, the method 700 begins at step 710, where the virtual worldapplication 102 generates a list of recent playmates of the requestinguser. The step 710 is further described below in conjunction with FIG.8. At step 720, the virtual world application 102 generates a list ofeligible players of the desired activity. The step 720 is furtherdescribed below in conjunction with FIG. 9. At step 730, the virtualworld application 102 generates a list of matched players, including amatch between the requesting user and at least the second user, based onthe list of recent playmates, the list of eligible players, and one ormore properties of the desired activity. The list of matched playerscorresponds to the subset 308 of FIG. 3. After the step 730, the method700 terminates.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting a method 800 to determine recentplaymates of a requesting user, according to one embodiment presented inthis disclosure. The method 800 corresponds to the step 710 of FIG. 7.As shown, the method 800 begins at step 810, where the virtual worldapplication 102 enters a loop to process each social interactioninvolving the requesting user and a target user. At step 820, thevirtual world application 102 adjusts the affinity score between therequesting user and the target user, based on the social interaction. Atstep 830, the virtual world application 102 determines whether anyadditional social interactions remain to be processed. If so, thevirtual world application 102 returns to the step 810 to process a nextsocial interaction involving the requesting user and the target user.Otherwise, at step 840, the virtual world application 102 sorts thetarget users based on affinity score, to generate a list of recentplaymates of the requesting user. In an alternative embodiment, the listof recent playmates is generated without sorting the target users basedon affinity score and remains unsorted. The list of recent playmatescorresponds to the sub-region 302 of FIG. 3. After the step 840, themethod 800 terminates.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting a method 900 to determine eligibleparticipants for a requested activity, according to one embodimentpresented in this disclosure. The method 900 corresponds to the step 720of FIG. 7. As shown, the method 900 begins at step 910, where thevirtual world application 102 enters a loop to process each user in thevirtual environment. At step 920, the virtual world application 102determines whether the user satisfies eligibility criteria for therequested activity. If not, the virtual world application 102 returns tothe step 910 to process a next user in the virtual environment.Otherwise, at step 930, the virtual world application 102 adds the userto a list of eligible players for the requested activity. At step 940,the virtual world application 102 determines whether any additionalusers remain to be processed. If so, the virtual world application 102returns to the step 910 to process a next user in the virtualenvironment. Otherwise, at step 950, the virtual world application 102sorts the list of eligible players based on eligibility score. In someembodiments, the list of eligibility players remains unsorted. The listof eligible players corresponds to the sub-region 304 of FIG. 3. Afterthe step 950, the method 900 terminates.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating components 1000 of the virtualworld application 102 of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment presentedin this disclosure. As shown, the components 1000 include an activityprocessing module 1002, a social interaction module 1004, the playmatetracking module 402, a player eligibility module 1006, and the playermatching module 502. Those skilled in the art will recognize that thecomponents 1000 of the virtual world application 102 are merelyexemplary, and other ways of implementing the virtual world application102 are broadly contemplated in the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the activity processing module 1002 is configured toreceive a request from a user to participate in a desired activity. Theactivity processing module 1002 may also be configured to retrieveselection criteria associated with the desired activity. As describedabove, the selection criteria include playmate criteria, eligibilitycriteria, and matching criteria. The social interaction module isconfigured to monitor and log social interactions between users in thevirtual environment. The playmate tracking module 402 is configured togenerate and maintain a list of recent playmates based on the monitoredsocial interactions and the playmate criteria. The player eligibilitymodule 1006 is configured to generate and maintain a list of eligibleplayers based on the eligibility criteria specific to the desiredactivity. The player matching module 502 is configured to generate alist of matched players for the requesting user, based on the list ofrecent playmates, the list of eligible players, and the matchingcriteria.

Embodiments disclosed herein present techniques for facilitating playermatching in a virtual environment. In one embodiment, a virtual worldapplication is provided that determines a list of matched players for auser requesting to participate in a desired group activity. The list ofmatched players may be generated based on a list of recent playmates ofthe user and a list of eligible players for the group activity.Accordingly, users may enjoy improved player matching in groupactivities in the virtual environment, at least relative to alternativeapproaches to player matching such as skill-based matching, randommatching, and manual inviting. User satisfaction with the virtualenvironment may also be improved as a result.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system 1100configured to facilitate player matching in a virtual environment,according to one embodiment presented in this disclosure. The networkedsystem 1100 corresponds to the networked system 200 of FIG. 2. As shown,the system 1100 includes a plurality of client systems 202 and aplurality of server systems 206, communicatively coupled via the network204.

In one embodiment, the client systems 202 may include existing computersystems, e.g., desktop computers, server computers, laptop computers,tablet computers, gaming consoles, hand-held gaming devices and thelike. The client systems 202 illustrated in FIG. 11, however, are merelyexamples of computer systems in which embodiments disclosed herein maybe used. Embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented differently,regardless of whether the computer systems are complex multi-usercomputing systems, such as a cluster of individual computers connectedby a high-speed network, single-user workstations, or network applianceslacking non-volatile storage. Moreover, it is explicitly contemplatedthat embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using any device orcomputer system capable of performing the functions described herein.

As shown, each client system 202 and server system 206 includes, withoutlimitation, a processor 1104, which obtains instructions and data via abus 1110 from a memory 1106 and storage 1108. The processor 1104 is aprogrammable logic device that performs instruction, logic, andmathematical processing, and may be representative of one or more CPUs.The memory 1106 is any memory sufficiently large to hold the necessaryprograms and data structures. The memory 1106 could be one or acombination of memory devices, including Random Access Memory,nonvolatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable or Flash memories,read-only memories, etc.).

As shown, the memory 1106 includes an operating system (“OS”) 1112.Operating system 1112 is software used for managing the operation of theclient system 202 or the server system 206. Examples of the OS 1112include UNIX, versions of the Microsoft Windows® operating system anddistributions of the Linux® operating system. Additional examples of theOS 1112 include custom operating systems for gaming consoles, includingthe custom operating systems for systems such as the Microsoft Xbox360®, Nintendo WHO and Sony PlayStation® 3. As shown, the memory 1106 ₁of the client system 202 further includes the virtual world client 208.The memory 1106 ₂ of the server system 206 further includes the virtualworld server 210.

The storage 1108 is representative of hard-disk drives, flash memorydevices, optical media and the like. Generally, the storage 1108 storesapplication programs and data for use by the client systems 202. Inaddition, the memory 1106 and the storage 1108 may be considered toinclude memory physically located elsewhere; for example, on anothercomputer coupled to the client system 202 or to the server system 206via the bus 1110. The client systems 202 and the server systems 206 areoperably connected to the network 204, e.g., via network interfaces. Asshown, the social interactions 104, the recent playmates 108, theeligible players 110, and the matched players 112 may be included in thestorage 1108 ₁ of the client system or the storage 1108 ₂ of the serversystem 206.

Additionally, the client systems 202 each are coupled to display devices1114 and input devices 1116, respectively. The display devices 1114 mayinclude output devices such as monitors, touch screen displays, and soon. For instance, the display devices 1114 may include a display deviceused to visually depict a virtual environment. As an example, thedisplay 1114 may provide a touch sensitive surface allowing the user toselect different locations within the virtual environment and controlthe movement of an avatar within the virtual environment. The inputdevices 1116 represent a wide variety of input devices, includingkeyboards, mice, controllers, and so on. Furthermore, the input devices1116 may include a set of buttons, switches or other physical devicemechanisms for controlling the client system 202. For example, the inputdevices 1116 could include a set of directional buttons used to navigatean avatar through a virtual environment presented on the display 1114.

In the preceding, reference is made to embodiments presented in thisdisclosure. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limitedto specific described embodiments. Instead, any combination of thefollowing features and elements, whether related to differentembodiments or not, is contemplated to implement and practicecontemplated embodiments. Furthermore, although embodiments disclosedherein may achieve advantages over other possible solutions or over theprior art, whether or not a particular advantage is achieved by a givenembodiment is not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure. Thus,the preceding aspects, features, embodiments and advantages are merelyillustrative and are not considered elements or limitations of theappended claims except where explicitly recited in a claim(s). Likewise,reference to “the invention” shall not be construed as a generalizationof any inventive subject matter disclosed herein and shall not beconsidered to be an element or limitation of the appended claims exceptwhere explicitly recited in a claim(s).

Aspects presented in this disclosure may be embodied as a system, methodor computer program product. Accordingly, aspects disclosed herein maytake the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely softwareembodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) oran embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects disclosed herein may take the form of a computerprogram product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s)having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this disclosure, a computer readablestorage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store aprogram for use by or in connection with an instruction executionsystem, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects disclosedherein may be written in any combination of one or more programminglanguages, including an object oriented programming language such asJava, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The program code may execute entirely on the computer of auser, partly on the computer of the user, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the computer of the user and partly on a remotecomputer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the computer of theuser via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects presented in this disclosure are described above with referenceto flowchart illustrations or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodimentsdisclosed herein. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart or block diagramblock or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart or blockdiagram block or blocks.

Embodiments disclosed herein may be provided to end users through acloud computing infrastructure. Cloud computing generally refers to theprovision of scalable computing resources as a service over a network.More formally, cloud computing may be defined as a computing capabilitythat provides an abstraction between the computing resource and itsunderlying technical architecture (e.g., servers, storage, networks),enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool ofconfigurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned andreleased with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.Thus, cloud computing allows a user to access virtual computingresources (e.g., storage, data, applications, and even completevirtualized computing systems) in “the cloud,” without regard for theunderlying physical systems (or locations of those systems) used toprovide the computing resources.

Typically, cloud computing resources are provided to a user on apay-per-use basis, where users are charged only for the computingresources actually used (e.g. an amount of storage space consumed by auser or a number of virtualized systems instantiated by the user). Auser can access any of the resources that reside in the cloud at anytime, and from anywhere across the Internet. In context of the presentdisclosure, a user may access applications (e.g., the virtual worldserver 210) or related data available in the cloud. For example, thevirtual world server 210 could execute on a computing system in thecloud and receive a request to participate in a group activity, from auser (e.g., from the virtual world client 208 associated with the user).In such a case, the virtual world client 208 or the virtual world server210 could generate a list of matched players for the user, to improvethe experience of the user in the virtual environment.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments disclosed herein. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. Each block of the block diagrams or flowchartillustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams orflowchart illustration, can be implemented by special-purposehardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, orcombinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments presented in thisdisclosure, other and further embodiments may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope of contemplated embodiments, and thescope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method of user matchingbased on social interactions in a virtual environment, the methodcomprising: monitoring social interactions of a first user in thevirtual environment; receiving, from the first user, a request toparticipate in a first desired activity in the virtual environment;accessing a set of users, other than the first user, currently eligibleto participate in the first desired activity; and programmaticallygenerating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a matchbetween the first user and at least a second user of the accessed set ofusers, based on the monitored social interactions of the first user,wherein the first user and the second user participate in the firstdesired activity in the virtual environment based on the generatedmatch.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the matchis generated responsive to the request and not based on any user skilllevel and not based on any user input specifying one or more preferredusers with which to be matched for the first desired activity, whereinthe second user is different from the first user.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein each user in the set ofusers satisfies a set of eligibility criteria specific to the firstdesired activity, wherein the set of eligibility criteria is notspecific to a second desired activity different from the first desiredactivity, wherein the set of eligibility criteria includes requesting,within a predefined period of time, to participate in the first desiredactivity.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein thefirst desired activity has an associated participant count, whereinprogrammatically generating the match comprises: determining a setintersection between the accessed set of users and a generated set ofusers that the first user has socially interacted with in the virtualenvironment; selecting, from the set intersection, a number of usershaving a highest affinity score with the first user, wherein the numberof users is one less than the associated participant count.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein each user in the setintersection and in the accessed set of users has an associated affinityscore with the first user, wherein the affinity score is determinedbased on a set of affinity scoring rules, wherein the set of affinityscoring rules specify that the affinity score of a given user with thefirst user is determined by a predefined function of: (i) a plurality oftypes of social interaction between the given user and the first userand (ii) a respective count of instances each type of social interactionbetween the given user and the first user; wherein the predefinedfunction includes an associated weight for each of the plurality oftypes of social interaction, wherein the associated weights for at leasttwo of the plurality of types of social interaction are distinct.
 6. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein each user has arespective avatar in the virtual environment, wherein each avatar isdistinct, wherein the plurality of types of social interaction betweenthe given user and the first user includes: (i) a first type of socialinteraction comprising the first user selecting an avatar of the givenuser, the first type of social interaction having a first associatedweight; (ii) a second type of social interaction comprising the firstuser sending a communication to the avatar of the given user, the secondtype of social interaction having a second associated weight; (iii) athird type of social interaction comprising the first user requesting toadd the given user to a friend list of the first user, the third type ofsocial interaction having a third associated weight; (iv) a fourth typeof social interaction comprising the avatar of the first user beingwithin a predefined range of the avatar of the given user in the virtualenvironment, for at least a first predefined period of time, the fourthtype of social interaction having a fourth associated weight, whereineach instance of the fourth type of social interaction is spaced apartby at least a second predefined period of time; and (v) a fifth type ofsocial interaction comprising the given user being on the friend list ofthe first user, the fifth type of social interaction having a fifthassociated weight.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6,wherein the fifth associated weight is higher than the fourth associatedweight, wherein the fourth associated weight is higher than the firstassociated weight, the second associated weight, and the thirdassociated weight; wherein the predefined function specifies todetermine the affinity score for the given individual based on aweighted sum of counts of instances of each of the plurality of types ofsocial interaction between the first individual and the givenindividual; wherein the predefined function further specifies to decay agiven component of the affinity score for the given individual based ona set of decaying rules, the component pertaining to the fourth type ofsocial interaction, wherein the set of decaying rules specifies to decaythe given component by a specified amount each time a specified timeperiod elapses in which the first user does not interact with the givenuser, wherein the specified amount is lower than the fourth associatedweight.
 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the firstdesired activity comprises a group activity, wherein the set ofeligibility criteria further includes being at a predefined location ofthe virtual environment; wherein the match is generated by a virtualworld application comprising an activity processing module, a socialinteraction module, a playmate tracking module, a player eligibilitymodule, and a player matching module; wherein social interaction moduleis configured to monitor the social interactions of the first user inthe virtual environment; wherein the playmate tracking module isconfigured to determine the affinity score for each user with which thefirst user interacts in the virtual environment, based on the set ofaffinity scoring rules; wherein the player eligibility module isconfigured to determine the set of users, currently eligible toparticipate in the first desired activity, based on the set ofeligibility criteria; wherein the player matching module is configuredto programmatically generate the match between the first user and atleast the second user, based on the monitored social interactions of thefirst user; and wherein the activity processing module is configured to:(i) receive the request to participate in the first desired activity;(ii) retrieve criteria associated with the first desired activity; and(iii) initiate the first desired activity for participation by the firstuser and at least the second user.
 9. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium containing a program, which when executed, is configured toperform an operation of user matching based on social interactions in avirtual environment, the operation comprising: monitoring socialinteractions of a first user in the virtual environment; receiving, fromthe first user, a request to participate in a first desired activity inthe virtual environment; accessing a set of users, other than the firstuser, currently eligible to participate in the first desired activity;and programmatically generating, by operation of one or more computerprocessors when executing the program, a match between the first userand at least a second user of the accessed set of users, based on themonitored social interactions of the first user, wherein the first userand the second user participate in the first desired activity in thevirtual environment based on the generated match.
 10. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the match is generatedresponsive to the request and not based on any user skill level and notbased on any user input specifying one or more preferred users withwhich to be matched for the first desired activity, wherein the seconduser is different from the first user.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein each user in the set ofusers satisfies a set of eligibility criteria specific to the firstdesired activity, wherein the set of eligibility criteria is notspecific to a second desired activity different from the first desiredactivity, wherein the set of eligibility criteria includes requesting,within a predefined period of time, to participate in the first desiredactivity.
 12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11,wherein the first desired activity has an associated participant count,wherein programmatically generating the match comprises: determining aset intersection between the accessed set of users and a generated setof users that the first user has socially interacted with in the virtualenvironment; selecting, from the set intersection, a number of usershaving a highest affinity score with the first user, wherein the numberof users is one less than the associated participant count.
 13. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each userin the set intersection and in the accessed set of users has anassociated affinity score with the first user, wherein the affinityscore is determined based on a set of affinity scoring rules, whereinthe set of affinity scoring rules specify that the affinity score of agiven user with the first user is determined by a predefined functionof: (i) a plurality of types of social interaction between the givenuser and the first user and (ii) a respective count of instances eachtype of social interaction between the given user and the first user;wherein the predefined function includes an associated weight for eachof the plurality of types of social interaction, wherein the associatedweights for at least two of the plurality of types of social interactionare distinct.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim13, wherein each user has a respective avatar in the virtualenvironment, wherein each avatar is distinct, wherein the plurality oftypes of social interaction between the given user and the first userincludes: (i) a first type of social interaction comprising the firstuser selecting an avatar of the given user, the first type of socialinteraction having a first associated weight; (ii) a second type ofsocial interaction comprising the first user sending a communication tothe avatar of the given user, the second type of social interactionhaving a second associated weight; (iii) a third type of socialinteraction comprising the first user requesting to add the given userto a friend list of the first user, the third type of social interactionhaving a third associated weight; (iv) a fourth type of socialinteraction comprising the avatar of the first user being within apredefined range of the avatar of the given user in the virtualenvironment, for at least a first predefined period of time, the fourthtype of social interaction having a fourth associated weight, whereineach instance of the fourth type of social interaction is spaced apartby at least a second predefined period of time; and (v) a fifth type ofsocial interaction comprising the given user being on the friend list ofthe first user, the fifth type of social interaction having a fifthassociated weight.
 15. A system of user matching based on socialinteractions in a virtual environment, the system comprising: one ormore computer processors; a memory containing a program, which whenexecuted by the one or more computer processors, is configured toperform an operation comprising: monitoring social interactions of afirst user in the virtual environment; receiving, from the first user, arequest to participate in a first desired activity in the virtualenvironment; accessing a set of users, other than the first user,currently eligible to participate in the first desired activity; andprogrammatically generating a match between the first user and at leasta second user of the accessed set of users, based on the monitoredsocial interactions of the first user, wherein the first user and thesecond user participate in the first desired activity in the virtualenvironment based on the generated match.
 16. The system of claim 15,wherein the match is generated responsive to the request and not basedon any user skill level and not based on any user input specifying oneor more preferred users with which to be matched for the first desiredactivity, wherein the second user is different from the first user. 17.The system of claim 16, wherein each user in the set of users satisfiesa set of eligibility criteria specific to the first desired activity,wherein the set of eligibility criteria is not specific to a seconddesired activity different from the first desired activity, wherein theset of eligibility criteria includes requesting, within a predefinedperiod of time, to participate in the first desired activity.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein the first desired activity has an associatedparticipant count, wherein programmatically generating the matchcomprises: determining a set intersection between the accessed set ofusers and a generated set of users that the first user has sociallyinteracted with in the virtual environment; selecting, from the setintersection, a number of users having a highest affinity score with thefirst user, wherein the number of users is one less than the associatedparticipant count.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein each user in theset intersection and in the accessed set of users has an associatedaffinity score with the first user, wherein the affinity score isdetermined based on a set of affinity scoring rules, wherein the set ofaffinity scoring rules specify that the affinity score of a given userwith the first user is determined by a predefined function of: (i) aplurality of types of social interaction between the given user and thefirst user and (ii) a respective count of instances each type of socialinteraction between the given user and the first user; wherein thepredefined function includes an associated weight for each of theplurality of types of social interaction, wherein the associated weightsfor at least two of the plurality of types of social interaction aredistinct.
 20. The system of claim 19, wherein each user has a respectiveavatar in the virtual environment, wherein each avatar is distinct,wherein the plurality of types of social interaction between the givenuser and the first user includes: (i) a first type of social interactioncomprising the first user selecting an avatar of the given user, thefirst type of social interaction having a first associated weight; (ii)a second type of social interaction comprising the first user sending acommunication to the avatar of the given user, the second type of socialinteraction having a second associated weight; (iii) a third type ofsocial interaction comprising the first user requesting to add the givenuser to a friend list of the first user, the third type of socialinteraction having a third associated weight; (iv) a fourth type ofsocial interaction comprising the avatar of the first user being withina predefined range of the avatar of the given user in the virtualenvironment, for at least a first predefined period of time, the fourthtype of social interaction having a fourth associated weight, whereineach instance of the fourth type of social interaction is spaced apartby at least a second predefined period of time; and (v) a fifth type ofsocial interaction comprising the given user being on the friend list ofthe first user, the fifth type of social interaction having a fifthassociated weight.